Inspector Maninder Singh said, “There are about 161 complaints of missing children registered with Chandigarh Police. We managed to trace 64 children. There are so many reasons behind the separation of these children from their family members."

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Sumit had disappeared from his house at Bapu Dham Colony in Sector 26 on Tuesday. When his worried parents could not trace him, they lodged a complaint with local police post, which subsequently transferred the matter to Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU).

On Thursday, Sumit was found from Ambala and reunited with his parents. Thirteen-year-old Kirti had been missing from her house for the last two years. Her family members had lost all hopes to reunite with their daughter. The matter was transferred to AHTU and during Operation Muskaan, Kirti was found staying in a shelter home, Prab Ashray Shelter Home at Kurali.

“We had circulated the picture of the missing girl to all the neighbouring police stations and to the shelter homes. Finally, we got a lead about the girl at Kurali,” said Inspector Maninder Singh, incharge of AHTU. Kirti will be reunited with her parents after being produced in a local court on Friday.

“My son Sumit, who is eight years old, had gone missing on Tuesday around 12.30 in the afternoon. We tried finding him in the vicinity and in nearby areas but in vain. Later, we lodged a missing complaint with AHTU in Sector 17. My child was traced to Ambala by the Chandigarh Police on Wednesday. We are so happy to have him back and would like to thank the police for the same,” said Sumit’s father Rakesh Kumar of Sector 26.

Like Sumit and Kirti, there are 64 other children, who have been separated from their parents under various circumstances, but have reunited with their parents under Operation Muskan of Chandigarh Police.

Inspector Maninder Singh said, “There are about 161 complaints of missing children registered with Chandigarh Police. We managed to trace 64 children. There are so many reasons behind the separation of these children from their family members. In the case of Kirti, who was traced to Kurali after two years, we are taking the assistance of child psychologists.”

There are a total of 19 teams involved in Operation Muskaan. In the coming weeks the teams are going to visit many places in India like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and interiors of Punjab among other places to reunite more children with their families.

‘Using different tactics’

A child psychologist attached with Chandigarh Police said, “Sometimes parents already know where their children are and what they are up to but they still lodge a missing complaint so as to avoid issues. There are times when children don’t want to reveal the names of their parents and families because they don’t want to go back. We have started dealing with different tactics to solve such cases.